The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-09-28
IS TOW VOOLFOLK GUILTY:
Doubts Raised as to the Real Author of the
Dreadful Murder Near Macon
(From the New York Time

Doubts Raised as to the Real Author of III
Dreadful Murder Near Macon
(From the New York Times
Tom Voolfolk, now in the Atlant
jail, charged with the murder CT the Mn
members Of his family, may not b
guilty after ell. There have been rumor
ever since the tragedy that others thai
Tom were concerned in it. Fran
Walker. Woolfolk's attorney, dlsguse'
as a painter, visited the scene OF th
murder and gained information which
made it certain to him that neg1o Wa
guilty Of the crime.
To-day's Constitution contained
special from Canton stating that Jacl
Debose, g negro of suspicious looks ant
demeanor, bad been arrested by W. a
Kitchen, Sheriff OF Cherokee county
and was held as an escaped convict
While confined in jail tle negro SAT-
enough to warrant the sheriff in notify
ing Colonel Walker that he vas OF tn
opinion that the negro was concerned Il
the Voolfolk tragedy. This evening
Colonel Walker went MP, had tax viii
the prisoner, and now expresses hinsel
as feeling perfectly satisfied that the
negro is the real murderer OF the Wool
folk family, OF, rather, that he was con
cerned in the wholesale killing.
The names of three other negroes II
also obtained in conversation with thu
prisoner. The negro admitted knowing
who did the murders and promised tc
tell Colonel Walker it he would promise
to help him out. This Colonel Walker
could not promise outright, but he final
" succeeded in inducing the negro to tel
him who the three others were who were
associated with him in the killing,
These names agreed perfectly with those
previously learned by him from Other
sources.
Colonel Walker feels confident that
the negro is the party who did the kill
ing and expects to prove these facts be-
rond doubt. Certain it is that this
negro knows enough to implicate others
besides Tom Voolfolk as the murderers
of the Voolfolk family, whether he in.
pGcates himself or clears Tom Voolfolk
or not. at least this is Colonel Walker'<
honest opinion.
The negro is an escaped convict. 1t
is said he was sent to the chain gang fol
stealing an axe from Voolfolk. At the
time he swore vengeance upon the
Voolfolk family. Colonel Walker thinks
the fellow got it by killing the family
while the others were robbing the house.
&c escaped from the chain gang several
days before the killing and was in the
neighborhood of the Voolfolk place al
the time Of the killing, but has not been
there since. Colonel Walker has stoutly
denie. Tom Woolfolk's guilt al the
time.
ATLANTA, G.,.. September PA story,
hideous in its details, is told by Jack
Debose, tie colored man held in Canton
Jail for tie murder Of the Mooltoib
family.
Debose says that Captain Woolfcil
had ill-treated him, and he determined
upon revenge. He took into his con
fdence three confederates, and about :
o'clock on the morning of the murder
the four stood at the front gate leading
to the house. The front door was open,
and they made their way into the hall,
except Debose. who stood on the out
side as sentinel. 4 screan,, trom Captain
Voolfolk told that the body work within
had begun. 4 blow was struck at Mrs.
Voolfolk, which missed her and killed
the baby. One OF the men cut down
Richard and Charley Voolfolk as they
rushed in. Another engaged Miss Pearl,
who was attracted by the screams Of the
others and was hurrying across to her
fathers room. She fought him like e
tigress, scratching his face, and IN the
desperate struggle she was considerably
bruised before she was killed.
The third murderer had meanwhile
entered the room occupied by Mrs.
West. There he found Annie Voolfolk
in the act of escaping through the win
dow, when a blow in the back Of her
head crushed her skull. Two more
blows dispatched Mrs. West and tie
Rosebud. While this bloody work was
in progress Tom Voolfolk jumped out
of the front window and ran ike deer
down the pathway and spread the alarm.
"He brushed against me as he ran,
says Debose, "but was so excited be Gid
not notice me-" The four men then
searched the house for the money, Shich
they failed to find. They then quietly
separated, each promising to take care
of himself. For two days Debose re-
NAMED hidden in the swamp, his mother
taking his meals to him. On the third
night he escaped the county and has not
been there since.